May 11, 2015 - Proposals for how the UK Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) could take on the
safety certification and approval of offshore
helidecks, raising safety levels through a
CAA-directive that would have powers to stop
flights to helidecks that fail to meet the
minimum standards, were announced today as part
of a consultation on the area.

The CAA’s review of offshore helicopter
operations published in February 2014
highlighted that the CAA’s involvement in an
enhanced certification process would raise
safety levels for the 300 plus helidecks in
UK
waters.

In the consultation the CAA asks for views on
how the existing system administered on behalf
of the offshore helicopter operators could be
transferred to a legally binding one and how the
new system could be run with the minimum of
bureaucracy, for example by work being
undertaken by organizations accredited and
overseen by the CAA.

CAA Safety and Airspace Director Mark Swan said
“The oil and gas industry puts considerable
effort into maintaining safe helidecks but in
cases where a helideck doesn’t meet safety
standards there is currently no legal
enforcement process to either shut it down or
demand improvements. The safety of offshore
workers is our absolute priority so we’ve
launched a consultation that would see us
introduce legally binding safety standards for
the 300 plus helidecks in
UK
waters.”

The proposals are primarily aimed at addressing
the causes of accidents to prevent them
happening, a policy that the CAA and its
Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG)
has followed throughout its work in the area.

The
announcement is the latest move to improve
offshore helicopter safety following the CAA’s
comprehensive review of offshore helicopter
operations published in February 2014.

Other actions already introduced include:
• Stopping flights over the most extreme sea
conditions.
• Ensuring every passenger on an offshore
helicopter flight is equipped with new improved
Emergency Breathing System (EBS) ahead of
schedule.
• Standardization of pilot training,
particularly for the use of complex automated
systems on helicopters and the associated
operating procedures.
• Establishing a new top level group to drive
change, the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action
Group (OHSAG) that includes unions, industry and
the CAA.

The majority of the remaining work is aimed at
preventing an accident from occurring. Some of these,
such as helicopter design, are longer term projects but
the CAA and OHSAG will be maintaining pressure on the
organizations responsible for change to ensure the
safety improvements are delivered as soon as possible.